Congrats to President- Elect Obama to a well earned win and for taking on this massive job of cleaning up and attempting to set right so much that has gone wrong.
Thank you Hillary for getting him ready to run in the general - you tested him and his organization and it all worked.
Classy exit for Sen. McCain - too bad that McCain wasn't around for the whole campaign.
Gov. Palin? May you and the First Dude find the strength and wisdom to deal with all the needs of your youngest child - you will need it.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Keeping August Simple
Iraq and Afghanistan, the Olympics, political conventions, running mate selection talk/text, NFL pre-season games, Russia/Georgia two-step.
All important stuff for the late summer days we are in.
Thankfully, there were the Little League World Championship playoffs to watch – little boys doing big things and having fun doing it. Sure there was some stress, some tears and the process of overcoming fears. Much of the latter quickly dissipated as they returned to their selves, their age and onto the next steps in growing up.
Never mind who won it all, it was just nice to watch kids give their all for something, good or bad, that they could share together.
It was nice to see a competition where everyone didn’t get a trophy, letting the motivational teaching message to be sent that losing doesn’t feel good and that winning it all does.
All important stuff for the late summer days we are in.
Thankfully, there were the Little League World Championship playoffs to watch – little boys doing big things and having fun doing it. Sure there was some stress, some tears and the process of overcoming fears. Much of the latter quickly dissipated as they returned to their selves, their age and onto the next steps in growing up.
Never mind who won it all, it was just nice to watch kids give their all for something, good or bad, that they could share together.
It was nice to see a competition where everyone didn’t get a trophy, letting the motivational teaching message to be sent that losing doesn’t feel good and that winning it all does.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Inevitable Collapse
To read the latest campaign email revelations about the failure of the Clinton campaign to secure the presidential nomination that are currently being listed on the Atlantic Magazine website (http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200809/hillary-clinton-campaign ) is to wonder how the “inevitable” nominee – Hillary – could have even set the alarm clock for 3 AM, much less answer it.
The circular firing squad that was formed by her senior campaign staff and spouse, Bill, gave her decidedly different ways to deal with a novice, first term senator with the funny name.
The Mark Penn/Bill Clinton wing wanted to go ugly early and often – lay out the negatives and keep ‘em coming. The Wolfson / Ickes side wanted to deal with Hillary’s high negatives and show her positives.
And what did Hillary want? She never decided. The would-be president couldn’t decide in broad daylight, never mind at 3 AM, on how to deal with Obama during a political campaign. She just let it fester, giving no clear path for HER staff to follow.
How can that be?
Look around the world today and think about that type of decision process being applied to it.
If she had been successful and did become president, one would expect that many of these campaign “advisors” would have found themselves working for her in the White House.
How would they have dealt with the current Russian incursion into Georgia? What would they have advised Hillary to do? Call John Edward’s at his girlfriend’s house and ask him about the newly founded 2 Russias?
Read the emails, read ‘em and weep – this could’ve been in the White House.
The circular firing squad that was formed by her senior campaign staff and spouse, Bill, gave her decidedly different ways to deal with a novice, first term senator with the funny name.
The Mark Penn/Bill Clinton wing wanted to go ugly early and often – lay out the negatives and keep ‘em coming. The Wolfson / Ickes side wanted to deal with Hillary’s high negatives and show her positives.
And what did Hillary want? She never decided. The would-be president couldn’t decide in broad daylight, never mind at 3 AM, on how to deal with Obama during a political campaign. She just let it fester, giving no clear path for HER staff to follow.
How can that be?
Look around the world today and think about that type of decision process being applied to it.
If she had been successful and did become president, one would expect that many of these campaign “advisors” would have found themselves working for her in the White House.
How would they have dealt with the current Russian incursion into Georgia? What would they have advised Hillary to do? Call John Edward’s at his girlfriend’s house and ask him about the newly founded 2 Russias?
Read the emails, read ‘em and weep – this could’ve been in the White House.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
War Peace And The Homefront
So we watched as the world came together in China and a war broke out between the Soviets & Georgians.
U.N. forces that were located in Georgia were asked to leave the area and when they did, the bombing began.
Foreigners were invited to China and 2 Americans were attacked, with one killed.
War and peace, Putin & Bush together in Bejing and have dueling press conferences against a backdrop of gushing reports about the greatness of the opening ceremonies.
Throw in the adulterous affair of a former presidential candidate and the angst of another loser in the primary about whether she should have her named placed into nomination process and it makes you sit back and shake your head. This is especially true when a video from Paris Hilton seems to be the sanest thing out there.
You see, this year unlike others, there are more people paying attention during these dog days of August – all of those who have been forced by the lack of money in our pockets to take a “Staycation”.
Now comes all of the passing of municipal budgets and their increases, further underlining the need for not going on a relaxing foray.
Yeah, we’re home and we’re watching.
U.N. forces that were located in Georgia were asked to leave the area and when they did, the bombing began.
Foreigners were invited to China and 2 Americans were attacked, with one killed.
War and peace, Putin & Bush together in Bejing and have dueling press conferences against a backdrop of gushing reports about the greatness of the opening ceremonies.
Throw in the adulterous affair of a former presidential candidate and the angst of another loser in the primary about whether she should have her named placed into nomination process and it makes you sit back and shake your head. This is especially true when a video from Paris Hilton seems to be the sanest thing out there.
You see, this year unlike others, there are more people paying attention during these dog days of August – all of those who have been forced by the lack of money in our pockets to take a “Staycation”.
Now comes all of the passing of municipal budgets and their increases, further underlining the need for not going on a relaxing foray.
Yeah, we’re home and we’re watching.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
On State Aid, Energy And Housing
Municipalities in this state are dealing with a lot of budgetary angst of late and it is interesting to see some of imaginative ways that some are incorporating to deal with it.
With so many negative influences coming to bear on their funding sources and expense outlays, some governing bodies have begun to react on behalf of the pocketbooks of their residents, while others merely talk about the situation and seemingly do nothing.
Some immediate actions include the closing the town hall on Fridays and lengthening the 4 remaining workdays to compensate for the shortened availability of municipal office availability and workers time. (Hmmm, at the end of the week, aren’t the lights, computers, air conditioning, etc still being used for the same amount of hours?)
Others are looking at possible fuel alternatives for their police cars (hybrids, propane, etc). The patrols are needed, but the costs are killing budgets across the state.
With state cut backs in aid to towns, costly energy crunch and a severe downturn in a housing market that, with a retiring baby boomer sales glut, will continue to be depressed for the foreseeable future, I’m thinking that towns need to look at generating electricity themselves (solar, wind, etc) to sell it back to the utilities at the state mandated retail rate.
Open areas that are currently designated as "areas in need of redevelopment" can be developed as energy farms – solar panels, wind turbines – that will require much less zoning/planning headaches, school population impact and environmental concerns, traffic/parking concerns.
IF the initial set-up of such a program can be done with grants and subsidies from state and federal sources to help offset some, if not most, of the start-up costs for the municipality, the eventual return from the sales of generated power could provide meaningful relief for the average town and in turn, its’ residents.
With so many negative influences coming to bear on their funding sources and expense outlays, some governing bodies have begun to react on behalf of the pocketbooks of their residents, while others merely talk about the situation and seemingly do nothing.
Some immediate actions include the closing the town hall on Fridays and lengthening the 4 remaining workdays to compensate for the shortened availability of municipal office availability and workers time. (Hmmm, at the end of the week, aren’t the lights, computers, air conditioning, etc still being used for the same amount of hours?)
Others are looking at possible fuel alternatives for their police cars (hybrids, propane, etc). The patrols are needed, but the costs are killing budgets across the state.
With state cut backs in aid to towns, costly energy crunch and a severe downturn in a housing market that, with a retiring baby boomer sales glut, will continue to be depressed for the foreseeable future, I’m thinking that towns need to look at generating electricity themselves (solar, wind, etc) to sell it back to the utilities at the state mandated retail rate.
Open areas that are currently designated as "areas in need of redevelopment" can be developed as energy farms – solar panels, wind turbines – that will require much less zoning/planning headaches, school population impact and environmental concerns, traffic/parking concerns.
IF the initial set-up of such a program can be done with grants and subsidies from state and federal sources to help offset some, if not most, of the start-up costs for the municipality, the eventual return from the sales of generated power could provide meaningful relief for the average town and in turn, its’ residents.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
A Side Dish
Have you ever bought milk at Costco? The square one gallon containers?
Ever try pouring a glass of milk from one of those babies?
Yeah, if your like me, you’re either glad you have a dog or cat or you spend a lot of time cleaning up the inevitable spill that such an exercise produces.
Even when I’ve tried being real careful about it, the spill happens.
My dog is re-a-a-l happy.
Ever try pouring a glass of milk from one of those babies?
Yeah, if your like me, you’re either glad you have a dog or cat or you spend a lot of time cleaning up the inevitable spill that such an exercise produces.
Even when I’ve tried being real careful about it, the spill happens.
My dog is re-a-a-l happy.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
FISA And The Fourth Amendment
In an article entitled “Who Voted 'No' to Protecting National Security?” the conservative website Human Events had this to say:
Posted: 06/20/2008
HumanEvents.comIn an article entitled:
The following congressmen voted 'no' or did not vote on today's important FISA Amendment Act.
The only Republican to vote against the bill, Rep. Tim Johnson (Ill.), is listed in italics. HUMAN EVENTS spoke with Johnson's press secretary as to why Johnson voted against protecting our national security with the FISA Amendment Act. He responded that Rep. Johnson "feels he voted that way in protection of our civil liberties…the powers that Department of Justice and other law enforcement officials need already exist. That system is working quite effectively."
My headline would have read:
Who Voted 'No' to Crushing Our 4th Amendment Rights:
(Link to 4th Amendment: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment04/ )
This newer version of the FISA amendment is the bill that gives amnesty to the telecoms that enabled the Bush administration to eavesdrop on American citizens without a court order under the prior version of this act (even though the administration had up to 3 days to get a court order from a secret court that had been specifically set-up to handle this program) after the wiretapping had already commenced. That the telecoms never asked for or demanded the court orders on the 4th day or later is, at the least, a criminal act).
By passing this new version, those that voted yes to this amnesty for the telecoms also voted to give themselves amnesty for going along with the first FISA Amendment and its’ assault on the 4th amendment.
I’m sure each of the following representatives want to get the bad guys too, but it can be done without our changing what WE stand for as Americans.
Voting NO
Abercrombie (Hawaii)
Holt (N.J.)
Olver (Mass.)
Allen (Maine)
Honda (Calif.)
Pallone (N.J.)
Andrews (N.J.)
Hooley (Ore.)
Pascrell (N.J.)
Baldwin (Wis.)
Inslee (Wash.)
Pastor (Ariz.)
Becerra (Calif.)
Israel (N.Y.)
Payne (N.J.)
Blumenauer (Ore.)
Jackson (Ill.)
Price (N.C.)
Brady (Pa.)
Jackson-Lee (Texas)
Rangel (N.Y.)
Braley (Iowa)
Jefferson (La.)
Rothman (N.J.)
Capps (Calif.)
Johnson (Ga.)
Roybal-Allard (Calif.)
Capuano (Mass.)
Johnson (Ill.)
Ryan (Ohio)
Carnahan (Miss.)
Johnson E.B. (Texas)
Sánchez Linda T. (Calif.)
Carson (Ind.)
Jones (Ohio)
Sanchez Loretta (Calif.)
Clarke (N.Y.)
Kagen (Wisc.)
Sarbanes (Md.)
Clay (Miss.)
Kaptur (Ohio)
Schakowsky (Ill.)
Cohen (Tenn.)
Kennedy (R.I.)
Schwartz (Pa.)
Conyers (Mich.)
Kilpatrick (Mich.)
Scott (Va.)
Costello (Ill.)
Kucinich (Ohio)
Serrano (N.Y.)
Courtney (Conn.)
Larsen (Wash.)
Shea-Porter (N.H.)
Cummings (Md.)
Larson (Conn.)
Slaughter (N.Y.)
Davis (Calif.)
Lee (Calif.)
Solis (Calif.)
Davis (Ill.)
Levin (Mich.)
Speier (Calif.)
DeFazio (Ore.)
Lewis (Ga.)
Sutton (Ohio)
DeGette (Colo.)
Loebsack (Iowa)
Thompson (Calif.)
Delahunt (Mass.)
Lofgren Zoe (Calif.)
Tierney (Mass.)
DeLauro (Conn.)
Lynch (Mass.)
Towns (N.Y.)
Dingell (Mich.)
Maloney (N.Y.)
Tsongas (Mass.)
Doggett (Texas)
Markey (Mass.)
Udall (N.M.)
Doyle (Pa.)
Matsui (Calif.)
Van Hollen (Md.)
Edwards (Md.)
McCollum (Minn.)
Velázquez (N.Y.)
Ellison (Minn.)
McDermott (Wash.)
Walz (Minn.)
Eshoo (Calif.)
McGovern (Mass.)
Wasserman Schultz (Fla.)
Farr (Calif.)
McNulty (N.Y.)
Waters (Calif.)
Fattah (Pa.)
Meek (Fla.)
Watson (Calif.)
Filner (Calif.)
Michaud (Maine)
Watt (N.C.)
Foster (Ill.)
Miller (N.C.)
Waxman (Calif.)
Frank (Mass.)
Miller George (Calif.)
Weiner (N.Y.)
Gonzalez (Texas)
Mollohan (W.V.)
Welch (Vt.)
Grijalva (Ariz.)
Moore (Wis.)
Wexler (Fla.)
Hall (N.Y.)
Moran (Va.)
Woolsey (Calif.)
Hare (Ill.)
Murphy (Conn.)
Wu (Ore.)
Hill (Ind.)
Nadler (N.Y.)
Hinchey (N.Y.)
Napolitano Neal (Mass.)
Hirono (Hawaii)
Oberstar (Minn.)
Hodes (N.H.)
Obey (Wis.)
Not Voting
Brown-Waite Ginny (Fla.)
Cannon (Utah)
Gilchrest (Md.)
Gohmert (Texas)
Jones (N.C.)
Paul (Texas)
Peterson (Pa.)
Reynolds (N.Y.)
Rush (Ill.)
Stark (Calif.)
Tiahrt (Kan.)
Visclosky (Ind.)
Weller (Ill.)
Posted: 06/20/2008
HumanEvents.comIn an article entitled:
The following congressmen voted 'no' or did not vote on today's important FISA Amendment Act.
The only Republican to vote against the bill, Rep. Tim Johnson (Ill.), is listed in italics. HUMAN EVENTS spoke with Johnson's press secretary as to why Johnson voted against protecting our national security with the FISA Amendment Act. He responded that Rep. Johnson "feels he voted that way in protection of our civil liberties…the powers that Department of Justice and other law enforcement officials need already exist. That system is working quite effectively."
My headline would have read:
Who Voted 'No' to Crushing Our 4th Amendment Rights:
(Link to 4th Amendment: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment04/ )
This newer version of the FISA amendment is the bill that gives amnesty to the telecoms that enabled the Bush administration to eavesdrop on American citizens without a court order under the prior version of this act (even though the administration had up to 3 days to get a court order from a secret court that had been specifically set-up to handle this program) after the wiretapping had already commenced. That the telecoms never asked for or demanded the court orders on the 4th day or later is, at the least, a criminal act).
By passing this new version, those that voted yes to this amnesty for the telecoms also voted to give themselves amnesty for going along with the first FISA Amendment and its’ assault on the 4th amendment.
I’m sure each of the following representatives want to get the bad guys too, but it can be done without our changing what WE stand for as Americans.
Voting NO
Abercrombie (Hawaii)
Holt (N.J.)
Olver (Mass.)
Allen (Maine)
Honda (Calif.)
Pallone (N.J.)
Andrews (N.J.)
Hooley (Ore.)
Pascrell (N.J.)
Baldwin (Wis.)
Inslee (Wash.)
Pastor (Ariz.)
Becerra (Calif.)
Israel (N.Y.)
Payne (N.J.)
Blumenauer (Ore.)
Jackson (Ill.)
Price (N.C.)
Brady (Pa.)
Jackson-Lee (Texas)
Rangel (N.Y.)
Braley (Iowa)
Jefferson (La.)
Rothman (N.J.)
Capps (Calif.)
Johnson (Ga.)
Roybal-Allard (Calif.)
Capuano (Mass.)
Johnson (Ill.)
Ryan (Ohio)
Carnahan (Miss.)
Johnson E.B. (Texas)
Sánchez Linda T. (Calif.)
Carson (Ind.)
Jones (Ohio)
Sanchez Loretta (Calif.)
Clarke (N.Y.)
Kagen (Wisc.)
Sarbanes (Md.)
Clay (Miss.)
Kaptur (Ohio)
Schakowsky (Ill.)
Cohen (Tenn.)
Kennedy (R.I.)
Schwartz (Pa.)
Conyers (Mich.)
Kilpatrick (Mich.)
Scott (Va.)
Costello (Ill.)
Kucinich (Ohio)
Serrano (N.Y.)
Courtney (Conn.)
Larsen (Wash.)
Shea-Porter (N.H.)
Cummings (Md.)
Larson (Conn.)
Slaughter (N.Y.)
Davis (Calif.)
Lee (Calif.)
Solis (Calif.)
Davis (Ill.)
Levin (Mich.)
Speier (Calif.)
DeFazio (Ore.)
Lewis (Ga.)
Sutton (Ohio)
DeGette (Colo.)
Loebsack (Iowa)
Thompson (Calif.)
Delahunt (Mass.)
Lofgren Zoe (Calif.)
Tierney (Mass.)
DeLauro (Conn.)
Lynch (Mass.)
Towns (N.Y.)
Dingell (Mich.)
Maloney (N.Y.)
Tsongas (Mass.)
Doggett (Texas)
Markey (Mass.)
Udall (N.M.)
Doyle (Pa.)
Matsui (Calif.)
Van Hollen (Md.)
Edwards (Md.)
McCollum (Minn.)
Velázquez (N.Y.)
Ellison (Minn.)
McDermott (Wash.)
Walz (Minn.)
Eshoo (Calif.)
McGovern (Mass.)
Wasserman Schultz (Fla.)
Farr (Calif.)
McNulty (N.Y.)
Waters (Calif.)
Fattah (Pa.)
Meek (Fla.)
Watson (Calif.)
Filner (Calif.)
Michaud (Maine)
Watt (N.C.)
Foster (Ill.)
Miller (N.C.)
Waxman (Calif.)
Frank (Mass.)
Miller George (Calif.)
Weiner (N.Y.)
Gonzalez (Texas)
Mollohan (W.V.)
Welch (Vt.)
Grijalva (Ariz.)
Moore (Wis.)
Wexler (Fla.)
Hall (N.Y.)
Moran (Va.)
Woolsey (Calif.)
Hare (Ill.)
Murphy (Conn.)
Wu (Ore.)
Hill (Ind.)
Nadler (N.Y.)
Hinchey (N.Y.)
Napolitano Neal (Mass.)
Hirono (Hawaii)
Oberstar (Minn.)
Hodes (N.H.)
Obey (Wis.)
Not Voting
Brown-Waite Ginny (Fla.)
Cannon (Utah)
Gilchrest (Md.)
Gohmert (Texas)
Jones (N.C.)
Paul (Texas)
Peterson (Pa.)
Reynolds (N.Y.)
Rush (Ill.)
Stark (Calif.)
Tiahrt (Kan.)
Visclosky (Ind.)
Weller (Ill.)
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